Exterior rear view mirror with air flow

Abstract

An exterior rear view mirror housing, which consists of at least a first housing part and a second housing part, and which comprises an opening on its rear side for a mirror glass, whereby the second housing part contains the walls surrounding the opening. The first housing part and at least one of the walls of the second housing part surrounding the opening comprise inner surfaces which face each other oppositely. On at least one of the inner surfaces which face each other oppositely, at least one ridge is arranged, which runs parallel to the rear side and extends from the one inner surface up to a remaining clearance to the opposing inner surface.

We claim: 
     
       1. An exterior rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle, said exterior rear view mirror assembly comprising:
 a first housing part having a first inner surface; 
 a second housing part fixedly secured to said first housing part and having a second inner surface, 
 whereby 
 said first and second housing parts create a housing that defines an opening on a rear side for a mirror glass, said second housing part includes a wall surrounding said opening and includes said second inner surface, said first and second inner surfaces are opposing each other and forming a rim such that said inner surfaces face each other and the interior of the housing; and 
 a plurality of ridges being arranged within the rim to reduce noise created by wind entering the housing, 
 whereby 
 each of said plurality of ridges extend from one of said inner surfaces toward the other of said opposing inner surfaces with 
 said plurality of ridges extending from one of said inner surfaces to an end spaced from the other of said inner surfaces defining a clearance, wherein said clearance of at least one of said plurality of ridges decreases as a linear distance along said at least one of said plurality of ridges with respect to the motor vehicle decreases. 
 
     
     
       2. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of ridges extends out from said first housing part. 
     
     
       3. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 1  wherein each of said plurality of ridges is staggered and parallel to one another. 
     
     
       4. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 3  wherein each of said plurality of ridges extends alternately from each of said opposite-facing inner surfaces. 
     
     
       5. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of ridges is spaced equidistantly from each other. 
     
     
       6. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of ridges is spaced non-uniformly from each other. 
     
     
       7. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein two adjacent of said plurality of ridges form a receiving space. 
     
     
       8. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said housing houses a module for an electronic device. 
     
     
       9. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said first housing part comprises a housing base and said second housing part comprises a housing cover. 
     
     
       10. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according  claim 1 , wherein a tear-off edge is formed on said first housing part and/or on the second housing part, seen in the case of inflow from a front side, turned away from a rear side, of said exterior rear view mirror assembly, seen from the front stagnation point, before the transition to the rear side. 
     
     
       11. An exterior rear view mirror assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one protrusion is arranged in at least one region of the outer surface of the housing of the external rear view mirror assembly, in which region, when there is a flow as viewed from a front of the housing of the external rear view mirror assembly, the external flow is retarded and the pressure increases in a boundary layer after a previous decrease of pressure, said front facing away from the rear side. 
     
     
       12. An exterior rear view mirror assembly comprising:
 an exterior rear view mirror housing having at least one base support assigned to a mirror foot arranged on a motor vehicle; 
 said exterior rear view mirror housing including a first housing part and a second housing part, defining an opening on a rear side for a mirror glass, whereby said second housing part contains walls surrounding said opening, whereby said first housing part and at least one of said walls of said second housing part surrounding the opening and include opposing inner surfaces facing each other and an interior of said exterior rear view mirror housing, 
 whereby 
 a plurality of ridges being arranged within the rim to reduce noise created by wind entering the housing, 
 whereby 
 said plurality of ridges extends from one of said opposing inner surfaces toward the other of said opposing inner surfaces with said plurality of ridges running parallel to a rear side and extending from said one inner surface toward said opposite-facing inner surface defining a clearance, wherein said clearance diminishes the closer said plurality of ridges is to the mirror foot.